2023 Solar Viewing

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned viewing time of 1:30pm to 3:30pm...
precipitation potential, 23%
sky cover, 14%
relative humidity, 60%
temperature, 34˚C
heat index, 43˚C
surface wind, W 13 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "below average" (2 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "good" (4 out of 5).

If the sky is clear, HRPO personnel will attempt viewing until 3pm.

The 22 July 2023 day rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD

[Christopher K.]

NOAA has forecast an Excessive Heat Warning for the HRPO area tomorrow from 10am CDT to 8pm CDT. The heat index is forecast to be in NOAA's Danger category during the planned public Solar Viewing time of 12pm to 2pm. If this forecast does not change by 9am CDT tomorrow, the viewing session is cancelled and HRPO will not open to the general public until 10:15pm for the Saturnian Opposition.

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned viewing time of 12pm to 2pm...
precipitation potential, 6%
sky cover, 8%
relative humidity, 65%
temperature, 31˚C
heat index, 35˚C
surface wind, N 9 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "too cloudy to be forecast" (0 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "bad" (1 out of 5).

If the sky is clear, HRPO personnel will attempt viewing until 12pm.

The 22 July 2023 day rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD

[Christopher K.]

Before HRPO's next planned solar viewing session, the region will have gone through a fairly brisk cold front. Perhaps this is a sign that 21 October will have milder weather. The Sun will be in Virgo.

[Christopher K.]

I sketched the disc at about 4:15pm CDT today. Active Regions 3464, 3465 and 4568 were plainly seen; even some plage at 4568 were glimpsed when the field of view was centered on that area. I recommend any interested parties view the Sun tomorrow to see this mild activity.

Today's solar disc:
https://www.spaceweather.com/images2023 ... mi1898.gif

[Christopher K.]

NOAA has issued a Special Weather Statement for the HRPO area...
https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx. ... n=-91.0722

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned viewing time of 12pm to 2pm...
precipitation potential, 0%
sky cover, 33%
relative humidity, 39%
temperature, 28˚C
surface wind, SE 10 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "above average" (4 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "average" (3 out of 5).

If the sky is clear, HRPO personnel will attempt viewing until 12pm. Please keep in mind that there is the smell of smoke in the HRPO area.
Otherwise, the 21 October 2023 day rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned viewing time of 12pm to 2pm...
precipitation potential, 0%
sky cover, 29%
relative humidity, 69%
temperature, 18˚C
surface wind, E 10 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "average" (3 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "poor" (2 out of 5).

If the sky is clear, HRPO personnel will attempt viewing until 2pm. There are currently twelve Active Regions on the Sun: 3489, 3490, 3491, 3492, 3493, 3494, 3495, 3498, 3499, 3500, 3501 and 3502...
https://www.spaceweather.com/images2023 ... mi1898.gif

The 25 November 2023 day rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD

[Christopher K.]

Here is the run-down of the current eleven Active Regions...
3489 is a large patch of plage. 3490 hardly has anything optical. 3492 is a nice bullet sunspot with attendant smaller spot. 3493 is a nice spot. 3494 is a nice spot. 3499 is a smattering of plage with a small spot. 3500 is a large cluster of medium-sized spots; it is currently causing an extremely bright glow in hydrogen alpha. 3501 is a fairly large sunspot close to 3500. 3502 is right next to 3492 with its own larger sunspot; interestingly, there is a sunspot cluster on the other side of 3502 that is not numbered. 3503 is the newest rotated of all these; very little optical is here. 3504 is a plage area rotating out of sight.

There will be a Special Solar Viewing Session at the Highland Road Park Observatory tomorrow from 10am to 12pm. The NOAA forecast calls for thirty-seven percent cloud cover and fifty-nine percent relative humidity. Danko's forecast calls for average transparency and good seeing.

Meanwhile, any interested parties should look at the Sun within the next forty-eight hours.

Current view of the Sun:
https://www.spaceweather.com/images2023 ... mi1898.gif

More information:
https://hrpo.lsu.edu/solar-viewing-2/

[Christopher K.]

HRPO's last planned public solar viewing session of the calendar year is on Saturday 23 December from 12pm to 2pm. The viewing sessions from December 2023 to November 2024 are crucial for public participation as the current professional estimates show Solar Cycle 25 peaking anywhere from January to October.